HOT CROSS were goddamn superstars...in the post-hardcore/screamo genre. So few people are actually of them. Plus, they've been broken up for almost 7 years.

Within the community of like-minded bands and listeners, HOT CROSS were considered a rare oddity that broke down genre classifications and melded numerous styles of downright kickass music. They were pretty much gods, in my book. If I were to try and dissect each album and point out all of the sweet riffs, this post would never end. I'll try to make this quick for the uneducated out there.

HOT CROSS brought together some of the best players from the late 90s/early 00s screamo scene in and around the Philadelphia area; Joshua Fit For Battle, Neil Perry, You And I, Saetia and Off Minor. Not too shabby, eh? They employed frantic-yet-melodic dual guitars (until the final album when one guitarist left the band), yelled/shouted vocals (with some clean stuff now and again) that was all held together by a sick (and often off-timed) rhythm section. The band's early material from 2000-2003 was very raw and involved a lot of screaming and yelling, with thicker riffs and less crazy guitar-work. Once 2004 hit, the instrumentals went from complex to mind-boggling and the vocals departed from screaming, and instead focused on shouting and crooning.

If you're looking for the quintessential HOT CROSS record, just download the entire discography here. It's unreal. All of it. If you've never heard HOT CROSS before, rectify that glaring omission right fucking now.

Botch is the only other heavy band that gets me moving and grooving like KOWLOON WALLED CITY do, and KWC do it in a much subtler and entrancing way. Honestly, tell me to stay still whilst listening to "Wrong Side of History", "Paper Houses" or "Turk, Taylor and Jones" and it is a physical impossibility.

KOWLOON WALLED CITY bust out heavy post-hardcore/sludge on every release. The songs sound as if they are lacquered in melodic riffing and then tossed into a scrapyard for years in order to rust. The songs are jagged, layered, aggressive, dark and caustic. Check them 3 tracks, especially "Wrong Side of History" and rejoice that bands like this exist!

KWC employs many small things that come together very nicely as a cohesive whole. There are some Cave In-styled hardcore/metal songs, Old Man Gloom and Doomriders sounding tracks, palm muting that reminds me of Isis and some sections that sound like very early Norma Jean and Botch...but in the end, KWC is built on a very solid foundation of heavy, distorted and homicidal bass riffing. Check out "Turk, Taylor and Jones" at the 2:02-mark. I don't think music can drop much lower than that. Fans of newer Capsule will also dig this band. Get on it, boyeeee.

I'll keep this short, because I recently posted about LOUISE CYPHRE's current band -> Republic of Dreams earlier this month.

LOUISE CYPHRE was a discordant, screamy hardcore band from Germany. These guys combined grind/emo-violence speed with soft interludes and insane aggression spliced with off-timed noodling. If you've heard Tristan Tzara or softer MNWA, the three are quite similar. The band was very influential and progressive during their stint. One of the coolest things about LC were the dispersed "Punishment Park" clips included in some songs, which got me interested in that stellar movie.

I have included (what I believe to be) the entire LOUISE CYPHRE mp3 discography (minus the demo tape) for download, so if anyone has any additions please send them in.

Explaining MERCY TIES quickly yields this - if Converge slowed down and mixed Mare with Enkephalin. The band employs what I like to call 'murder riffs' in their songs.
Here are 3 prime examples that I have mixed down to quickly show you.

Those riffs is very reminiscent of Mare, a very short-lived but very influential Canadian band that released a crushing/haunting EP on Hydra Head Records back in 2003 - listen here:

Not all of their songs are so murdery-sounding. Most, if not all of their tracks are urgent and spastic yet controlled. The band recently posted that they had just approved their test presses, so hopefully I'll get some more murder riffs to add to the collection.

BIG DICK are much more foreskin...err, akin to playing music along the lines of fellow Ontario natives Death From Above 1979 as these 2 dudes pump out a massive wall of bass, drums and singing/yelling. Besides the obvious DFA1979 comparisons, the band also incorporates styles that will appeal to fans of drunken screaming stalwarts Die Princess Die (the tracks are very bass heavy in structure and the chaos created from it) as well as the Beastie Boys' punkier songs. There is even some later-era Bright Calm Blue going on vocally during "Coming Home". "Anti Social" is a very grooving and laid back track, while "Too Hot To Trot" is the band's most expansive and romping number. Check it out here, especially at the 2:40-mark when shit gets real, son. The 7" songs "Aria" and "Yard Fight" and the 12" tracks "Mayday" and "Colours" tap into the band's aggressive and mathy side.

The band released the 7" teaser 'Jensen' in 2010 with 3 fantastic tracks and waited another 3 years before dropping their debut LP, appropriately titled 'Big Dick' which will probably make my top 10 list for 2013.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dave, BIG DICK's drummer, formerly of Van Johnson. He gave some great answers and answered all 30 or so questions that OMSB asked. His best answer:
"I'd probably kill myself if I couldn't write or play music." Now that is dedication and love, baby.

DISPENSING OF FALSE HALOS were one of the early adopters of the metallic screamo style that is becoming popular these days, except this was done over a decade ago. Fans of other early bands such as Van Johnson, Kaospilot and Kodan Armada will eat this up. For readers not born in the dreaded 80s, you will notice a lot of similarities between DISPENSING OF FALSE HALOS and bands such as State Faults, Beau Navire, Greyscale and Voyage In Coma.

With DISPENSING OF FALSE HALOS you've got your monotonous, but very fitting, screaming with some blazing instrumental work by the band that combines faster grind/thrash and slower atmospheric noodling - all with a tinge of black metal. This band was mad underappreciated, like most older Init Records bands.

That's right - I put 2 STANDSTILL songs on that mix, and they deserve a hell of a lot more spots. Included was a heavy song "Two Minutes Song" and a rock song "Ride Down the Slope" in an attempt to showcase the 2 very different styles of the band.

STANDSTILL was gaining popularity when I was getting into screamo back in about 2002. At that time the band was young and had realized that they were talented enough to incorporate not just Refused-influenced aggressive hardcore, but also beautiful melodies and lush soundscapes. A transition took place from 2003-2005 that stripped the band of any aggressiveness, and left us with the refined STANDSTILL that exists to this day. Let's disco that shit:

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'The Tide' has the band starting out as a Refused worship band. That's it. It's pretty good, for what it is.
*best tracks = "The Tide", "Circle" and "Living Hell"
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'The Ionic Spell' showed the band's aggressive progression but incorporated twinkly post-hardcore/screamo passages that (at the time) lumped the band in with the likes of Saetia, La Quiete, Neil Perry, Orchid and Yage.
*best tracks = "Supreme", "Words", "Angelica", "Survive", "Two Minutes Song", "Let Them Burn", "Naked Monkey" and "Sunrise People in Sunset Days"
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Following 'The Ionic Spell', STANDSTILL shed the screaming and created what Orchid tried to do with Panthers , but with a lot more songwriting skills and softer tracks. They were able to pull off a miraculous and infectious rock/screamo record that currently goes down as the best of all-time, in my book. Perhaps the vocals are an acquired taste. But once I acquired them, I became goddamn addicted.
*best tracks = "Ride Down the Slope", "Always Late", "Two Poems", "Skies and a Mouse", "Not the Place" and "Airplane"
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After 'Memories Collector', the band slowed down, or should I say screeched to a halt, in regards to pursuing heavy music. "La Vieja Gibellina" and "Poema nº3" from the band's 'Self-Titled' album are the closest thing you'll find to the heavier rock found on 'Memories Collector'. The band also started incorporating drama/plays/poetry into concerts, which you can find online. STANDSTILL also dropped their English lyrics, which I commend.
*best tracks = "Le Vieja Gibellina" and "Poema n3"
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'Vivalaguerra' continued on the path that the band had started down a few years prior, with the music becoming softer and more vocal-oriented, right up to and including 2010's 'Adelante Bonaparte (una fabula circular) and 2013's 'Dentro de la Luz' . "Si, Quiero" is a beautiful meander through a simple yet lush guitar and crooning vocal track. "Morireis Todos los Jovenes" is another slow track. This one is epic in feel and has hooks from the very beginning with the piano, keyboard and vocal overlap. At the 4-minute mark the band brings everything together masterfully - albeit perhaps a little too long. In all honesty, I can dig a few songs, but find the latter albums to only have a few engaging tracks.
*best tracks on those 3 albums = "Si, Quiero" and "Morireis Todos los Jovenes" and I'm still listening to the new 'Dentro de la Luz', so I'll post my thoughts afterwards
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So if you are like me and love STANDSTILL's old material and mildly enjoy the new stuff, I would strongly recommend checking out La Parade, who are the only band that has come close to recreating this sound. I've heard the new LP and it's a mix of STANDSTILL and Sed Non Satiata. Grab the demo here.

If anyone reading this enjoys the musical stylings of Sed Non Satiata and Envy, AMANDA WOODWARD is either already on your radar or listening to these next few embedded songs will blow your mind. Honestly, anyone who listens to Sed Non Satiata, La Parade and Breag Naofa will absolutely love this band. Take away the clean vocals from Sed Non, and they sound just like AMANDA WOODWARD. Not a little bit. A LOT.

If you like your music with momentum building passages that build to massive breakdowns ala City of Caterpillar, Titan and Envy, coupled with the screamo urgency of La Quiete, Daitro and Carrion Spring then download the mp3 discography linked below.

AMANDA WOODWARD. Sed Non before there was Sed Non. Hmm, that should work.

Thursday, 17 October 2013

Linked below is an interview that OPENmindSATURATEDbrain recently had with TENTACLES. Albert, Matt and Steve were gracious enough to give some very revealing answers about their new 7" record, 'Cogita Mori'.

Unless you've been living in a cave (get it?) or don't know Ben Koller or Steve Brodsky...well, I should mention something. If you haven't heard of either of these two, you have a decision to make. Are you willing to invest about 10 minutes to reading this review and listening to a song or two? Or will you pass? If you choose the latter, go on with your daily life and music routine. If you choose the latter, these guys are about to open your mind to a myriad of music that will then destroy the very brain that you first sought to expand. What?

This lovely duo have, in a way, been planning their debut LP release for nearly 15 years. The Cave In frontman and Converge drumming legend first teamed up during Converge's infancy in the late 1990s when Stephen Brodsky played bass with the band for a short time. In 2005 they teamed up again, with Ben Koller filling in for the briefly departed JR Conners on Cave In's 'Cassingle'. This meeting in 2005 was definitely the catalyst for the formation of MUTOID MAN. "Shapeshifter" and "Dead Already" basically sound like MUTOID MAN demos.

MUTOID MAN play in-your-face metallic rock with punk and thrash leanings, sharp vocals, heavy screaming and some of the most insane drumming you'll ever hear outside of Converge. Think of Brodsky's side projects such as Kid Kilowatt and Pet Genius smoking tons of weed and worshipping Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy. I have included a link to "Scrape the Walls" and embedded "Gnarcissist" below, as well as "Shapeshifter" and "Dead Already" from the Cave In 'Cassingle' and 3 live songs from a recent (and I'd assume rare) live show. 'Helium Head' hasn't even been released - but when it is it's a contender for album of the year. No doubt. You better wrap up that gavel, B.

I am in the midst of an interview with god himself, Stephen Brodsky, and he had this to say about MUTOID MAN: "Mutated thrash punk freak metal, with Ben Koller pushing my limits in heavy music to help keep me feeling young."

Tuesday, 15 October 2013

OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain was lucky enough to talk to Sean, one of the founding guitarists/vocalists of LOMA PRIETA. If you haven't heard of LOMA PRIETA...ah, you've heard of LOMA PRIETA. The band last released a split 7"EP with Italian screamo founders Raein and basically tour non-stop. Under the interview I have included a full set from LOMA PRIETA when I first saw them at the end of 2011.

Here's an excerpt:"What are your thoughts on the young generation? Your generation? The older generation?I am the older generation, I used to have to book tours through the mail and use an atlas and shit. Seriously though, mentalities have more to do with ethics than generations or age. Trust me that most people you meet in punk will not be involved in a couple years, that is one of the few lessons I've taken over the years. The difficulty of punk is that it's so elitist, which makes it alienating to be deeply involved in. I think that spans all generations of people involved."

Past Week

Search the tons of OMSB interviews and reviews here!

OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain

Link to www.zegemabeachrecords.com/omsb-talentSubmit your band's material if you think it jives with this blog and I'll post it on the record label site for listeners to preview. Just send an email with "OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain" as the title and a link to your music and I will do the rest.

Contact!

If you are a band/record label and think your stuff would jive with this blog and want me to listen to it / post it, email me at zegemabeachrecords@gmail.com with "openmindsaturatedbrain" as the subject title . If any links you would like are dead, post on that page and I will upload the link again.